Strap fastening means



Dec 12 M, J, MCANENY STRAP FASTENING MEANS Filed May 26, 1944 INVENTOR. 11 12 M j M /4/VE/VV A TTORNEK Patented Dec. 12, 1950 UNHE'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My present invention relates to strap fastening means particularly adaptable for hose clamps, oox strapping, baling, or for other similar purposes.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a strap fastening means which may be made of extremely light gauge material, and one which at the same time is very durable, and further one which may be readily applied.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a buckle for securing together the ends of a bendable and flexible strap, and in which the buckle is made of relatively light gauge material, but in which the various portions thereof subjected to various tensile and other holding 2 strains are built up by several layers or folds of the plate or sheet material of which the buckle is made.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a buckle of this class in which the various portions under load or strain and which tend to open, unfold, or unbend, due to such load or strain, are interenfolded so that one portion supports or reinforces another, thereby forming a relatively rigid and durable unit.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a buckle of this class which may be readily blanked from a single small sheet of metal, in which there is absolutely no waste of material, and from which the various portions of the buckle may be readily formed into shape.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, I have devised a strap fastening means having certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions, as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference thereon, which form a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the buckle and adjacent or secured strap portions of my strap fastening means;

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof, as the same appears around articles which may be clamped thereby, taken substantially at 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof taken through 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing a preferred form of the blank for forming the buckle;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the buckle in a partially formed condition;

Fig. 6 is a similar perspective view thereof, but showing one end of the bendable strap threaded through portions of the buckle;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of my buckle shown in Fig. 6, but with both main plate portions folded and locked together at their free edges, and showing the other end of the strap threaded through the buckle from the opposite direction, but before being secured into place; and,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view similar to that shown in Fig. 7, but showing the last mentioned other free end of the strap folded into final position, but before the strap locking ears are pressed into place.

The blank, shown best in Fig. 4, is made of relatively light gauge material, and of not much greater thickness than the strap itself, shown here as a band, and designated I.

The buckle blank consists primarily of an inner plate portion II and an outer plate portion I2 of similar width. These plate portions are 'foldable about a median line I3, as shown best in Figs. 5 and 6. In its final form, the plate portions II and I2 are pressed together except for two thicknesses of the strap I. The fold about the line I3 has a coincident slot I4 which may be about one-third or slightly greater than the length of the fold, the length of the slot being slightly greater than the width of the strap or band I.

The inner plate portion II has a slit I5 near its free edge, which slit is parallel to said edge or to the slot I4. This slit I5 defines a transverse cut in the blank intermediate the side edges thereof providing a raised retaining strap I9 for receiving thereunder the strap I. The length of the slit is also slightly greater than the width of the strap or band I, thus providing the strap I9 with sufiicient clearance to accommodate thereunder the steel strap.

At the free edge of the outer plate portion I2 the plate has spaced cuts extending inwardly to form a central reinforcing plate portion I6 which is bendable over the outer side or top of the outer plate portion I 2 to form a rounded bearing edge. The length of this reinforcing plate portion is short of the length of the plate portion I2 since the cuts are spaced so as to provide for ears or lugs H at the opposite ends of the plate portion I6. The width of the plate portion I5 and the length of the ears I7, about their folding edges I'I are preferably the same, but the plate portion is bendable against the upper side of the outer plate portion I2 while the ears I? are foldable downwardly and over the free edge of the inner plate portion II.

The ears II lock the plate portions II and I2 in their folded positions, substantially against each other, as stated above, and as shown in Figs. '7 and 8.

The outer plate portion I 2 is also provided with ears I8 which may be bent outwardly from the outer plate portion I2 about edges I3 which are perpendicular to the fold on the line I3, or parallel to the edges of the band I. The distance between the ear folding edges I8 is slightly greater than the width of the band I. The inner ends of these ears 18 extend toward each other and are foldable over both end portions of the band I. These ears also are positioned adjacent and from one side of the slot I4. The width of the ears i8 is such that they clear the free edge of the reinforcing plate portion [6 when the latter is folded against the outer side of the main plate portion 12.

One end 1 of the strap, which is here shown as a relatively narrow metallic band, is extended between the main plate portions II and I2, and the end thereof is threaded through the slot i l, that is, under and beyond the ears I8, and is then threaded through the slit under strap 19 and positioned against the normally underside of the inner plate portion ll. As will be seen from the drawings, the portion outwardly from the slit [5 is slightly offset so as to facilitate the threading of the end l of the band through the slit, and also to permit the inner side of the plate portion I i and the inner side of the band I to lie in substantially the same plane.

With the buckle loosely secured to one end of the band i, the band may be wrapped, in the form of a loop, around the hose, box, or other article to be clamped. The other end l of the band is then threaded through the slot M, over the end portion I of the band, and under the ears I8, under the plate portion, as shown best in Fig. 7. The end l of the band is then folded downwardly against the reinforced plate portion [6 and threaded underneath the ears 18, substantially as shown in Fig. 8. The ears [8 are then pressed downwardly against the portion l of the band I, and thus locked into place.

A suitable instrument may be provided for drawing the end l of the band tightly around the article to be clamped, and also for folding this end downwardly, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 8.

In order to increase the effectiveness of the band, thus secured by the buckle, the buckle may be compressed in any suitable manner.

The term strap, used in the foregoing description and in the claims, is to be interpreted to include metal and similar bands, wire, and the like, and though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement, of parts and portions, I do not wish to be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fastening means of the class described, a buckle comprising a plate folded intermediate its opposite edges upon itself forming inner and outer plate portions, there being provided a slot at and between the ends of the fold, the free edge of the outer plate portion having a reinforcing plate portion folded backwardly against the outer side thereof, whereby to receive one bendable strap end extending between the first mentioned plate portions, threaded through said slot, and folded against the underside of the inner plate portion, and another bendable strap end 6 extending in the opposite direction through the slot and folded around the free edge of the outer 4 plate portion and over the outer side of and off set inwardly over the free edge of the reinforcing plate portion, said outer plate portion having means for securing a strap end inwardly of the outer side of the reinforcing plate.

2. In a fastening means of the class described, a buckle comprising a plate folded intermediate its opposite edges upon itself forming inner and outer plate portions, there being provided a slot at and between the ends of the fold, the free edge of the outer plate portion having a reinforcing plate portion folded backwardly against the outer side thereof, and a bendable strap having one end extending between the first mentioned plate portions, threaded through said slot, and folded against the underside of the inner plate portion, and another bendable strap end extending in the opposite direction through the slot and folded around the free edge of the outer plate portion and over the outer side of and off set inwardly over the free edge of the reinforcing plate portion, said outer plate portion having means for securing a strap end inwardly of the outer side of the reinforcing plate, and a pair of ears on the free edge of the outer plate portion and at the opposite ends of the reinforcing plate portion, said ears being bendable downwardly over the free edge of and against the underside of the inner plate portion.

3. In a fastening means of the class described for tensioned tape, a buckle comprising a plate folded intermediate its opposite edges upon itself forming inner and outer plate portions, a slot at and between the ends of the fold, cuts in the outer end of the outer plate portion forming a central flap and two outer lugs with the lugs bent to secure themselves against the opposite outer edge and outer face of the inner plate portion to secure the portions in assembled relation against tension of a tape and the center flap bent oppositely to form a rounded edge on the outer plate portion and to act as a reinforcing to the outer plate portion, a slit in the inner plate portion spaced inwardly from its outer edge with the section between the slit and the outer edge pressed outwardly to secure a tape end and means to secure a tightened end of a tape against the outer face of the outer plate portion.

MICHAEL J. MCANENY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 220,869 Roane Oct. 21, 1879 228,223 Sevey June 1, 1880 1,009,632 Bartran Nov. 21, 1911 1,047,036 Furth Dec. 10, 1912 1,226,876 Furth May 22, 1917 1,855,007 Bradley Apr. 19, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,005 Australia Apr. 14, 1932 

